Overview

---

This article details the process of updating the Thunderbird email client to the latest version. We recommend updating to version 78.0+, as this version supports modern authentication.

Critical Concepts

---

• Updating Thunderbird to the latest version supports modern authentication and enhanced security
• System Requirements for Updating to Version 78.0+:
  
  • Windows: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 or later
  • Mac: Mac OS X 10.9 or later
  • Linux: GTK+ 3.4 or higher
• For instructions on configuring Thunderbird for Office 365/Gmail email addresses, please see the below articles:
  
  • Configure Thunderbird v78.0 to current on Mac/PC for Office 365 Exchange
    
  • Configure Thunderbird for Gmail (Mac/PC)
    

Steps to Take

---

The process for updating Thunderbird for Windows and Mac is essentially the same. See the below steps for images corresponding to each OS:

Updating Thunderbird on Mac OS

1. On the menu bar click the Thunderbird menu and select About Thunderbird.
   
   
   
   
2. The About Thunderbird window will open and Thunderbird will begin checking for updates and downloading them automatically.
   
   
   
   
3. When the updates are ready to be installed, click Restart Thunderbird to Update. If the window shows "Thunderbird is up to date" and shows version 78, you have the latest version already and do not need to update Thunderbird.

If you are using a version of Thunderbird prior to 78 or 60 (for example 52, 45, 38 etc.) and are having trouble updating to version 78 using the above method:

Simply download and install the latest version from the Thunderbird website, and Thunderbird will pick up your existing data.

1. Open the Thunderbird free download page, which detects the platform and language of your computer and recommends the best edition of Thunderbird for you. Click the download link or button. 
2. Once the download is completed, the disk image may open by itself and mount a new volume which contains the Thunderbird application. If you do not see the new volume, double-click the Thunderbird dmg icon to open it. A Finder window appears, containing the Thunderbird application. Drag the Thunderbird icon to the Applications folder. 
3. Now eject the disk image by selecting it in a Finder window and pressing the command+E keys or by using the Finder's File menu, and selecting Eject.
4. Thunderbird is now ready for use. Open the Applications folder and start by double-clicking on the Thunderbird icon. You may get a security warning that Thunderbird has been downloaded from the Internet. Because you downloaded Thunderbird from the official site, you can click Open to continue.
   
   

---

Updating Thunderbird on Windows 

By default, Thunderbird is set to automatically update itself but you can always do a manual update. Here's how:

1. Go over to the Help menu and select About Thunderbird.
   
   
   
   
2. The About Thunderbird window will open and Thunderbird will begin checking for updates and downloading them
   automatically.
   
   
   
   3. When the updates are ready to be installed, click Restart Thunderbird to Update.
   
   

If you are using a version of Thunderbird prior to 78 or 60 (for example 52, 45, 38 etc.) and are having trouble updating to version 78 using the above method:

Simply download and install the latest version from the Thunderbird website, and Thunderbird will pick up your existing data.

1. Open the Thunderbird free download page, which detects the platform and language of your computer and recommends the best edition of Thunderbird for you. Click the download link or button.
   
2. Click on the green download link to download the Thunderbird installer. Depending on your connection speed, the download may take up to a few minutes.
3. Start the process by clicking Run.
4. Follow the prompts in the setup wizard.